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Education is key to new Kerala model: Baby

— Photo: S. Gopakumar

DEBATING EDUCATION: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan delivering the inaugural address at a three-day international seminar on ‘Democratic and Secular Education — Kerala Experience’ on the Karyavattom campus of the University of Kerala on Thursday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Education is the key to a ‘new Kerala model of development’ based on knowledge-intensive industries and services and modernisation of traditional agriculture and cottage industries, Education Minister M.A. Baby said here on Thursday.

He was delivering the presidential address at the inaugural session of the three-day international seminar on ‘Democratic and Secular Education — Kerala Experience’ organised by the State government on the Karyavattom campus of the University of Kerala.

The nature and pace of Kerala’s progress will depend to a large extent on its ability to exploit two important determinants of development — the emergence of knowledge as the most important factor of production and of services as the fastest growing sector in the economy.

‘Quality for all’ is the mantra for equitable and sustainable development of the State. What we need is a strategy and a programme of action that would translate this dream into a reality in the not-too-distant future, he said. The broad contours of such a strategy are clear. It has to be democratic and secular in character. It has to take into account the needs of individuals and society at large. It has to be relevant locally and globally and the programme of action should have a fair degree of consensus among stakeholders.

The old Kerala model came under sharp criticism when it began to stagnate in the 1980s. It was criticised for its failure to produce enough wealth to satisfy the growing demands of a consumerist society. It was feared that the model would not even help produce enough wealth and employment to sustain the level of standard of living already attained.

Those who introduced the liberalisation-privatisation-globalisation reforms argued that the egalitarian ethos would have to be set aside to attract large-scale investment, domestic and foreign. The government only had to create an investment-friendly climate through deregulation and decontrol. The fact is that the apologists of blind globalisation are not even willing to take a patient look at the emerging global concerns over development. The characteristic quality of development today is the speed with which it brings about sweeping changes in the lives of people and on land, water and air; most of these changes are irreversible, he added.

In his inaugural address, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said capitalism and global capital were tightening their grip on the nation’s cultural and educational sectors and were seeking to do away with the fundamental values of social progress. Such forces were trying to create a society that does not have social and political consciousness and one that is self-seeking, he said.

This line of thinking also promotes a sense of disinterestedness towards Malayalam and the public education system and a fondness for English and for the unaided education system. Such thinking, though, runs counter to the spirit of social consciousness. Kerala should see how it can use the potential of the information explosion to better its teaching-learning activities. Actually Kerala is the only State which has achieved good progress on this front.

Computers should wait on children and not the other way round. What is need is not learning of IT but IT-enabled learning. The government’s attempts at educational reforms are directed towards these ends.

Noted social activist Swami Agnivesh; vice-chairman of the Kerala State Higher Education Council K.N. Panikkar; Minister for Food and Civil Supplies C. Divakaran; and Vice-Chancellor-designate of the University of Kerala A. Jayakrishnan attended.

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